It would be easy to look at the Eagles record and assume they are a below average team in a loaded NFC. One could also say that their current bout with the injury bug leaves them weak and feeble and little match for the high-flying Saints offense. Philadelphia is still the reigning Super Bowl champions, and it would be a mistake to overlook them.
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There are two players, one on each side of the ball, that I believe could be pivotal in deciding whether Sunday’s contest is one in which the Eagles rebound and get back in the win column or if New Orleans will get its ninth in a row.
The first player is defensive tackle Fletcher Cox. While Aaron Donald is the undisputed top defensive tackle, Cox can make a case for the number two spot. In a world of package players and rotations, Cox stays on the field longer than any other defensive lineman for Philadelphia.
For Cox, the matchup that could be most advantageous would be if the Eagles choose to line him up as a three technique over Saints left guard Andrus Peat. Against the Rams, Peat was able to help keep Donald from recording a sack on quarterback Drew Brees. However, Donald still pressured the Saints quarterback and also had help from left tackle Terron Armstead and center Max Unger. One of his most valuable life lines, Armstead, will not be available for this game.
At 310 listed pounds, Cox is larger than the typical interior pass rusher, but that hasn’t prevented him from accumulating at least 5.5 sacks in each of the last three seasons while reaching the Pro Bowl in those three years. So far in 2018, he has four sacks and 24 pressures, according to Sports Radar. There are a variety of ways to get to the quarterback, and while Cox isn’t the quickest at his position (average time of 4.48 seconds to sack, per Sports Radar) his physicality and technique make him a danger for offensive linemen.
In the above clip, Cox does a good job with his hands to swat the outside arm before ripping underneath. Once past the guard, he shows a surprising amount of short area quickness and agility for a man of his size, taking down Giants quarterback Eli Manning. Should the Eagles try to take on Peat with their best interior defender, it could prove problematic for Brees.
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One of the ways to slow down penetrating defenders is with an effective run game that forces them to respect the offense’s ability to move laterally. So far this year the Eagles have struggled a bit to stop the run — they’re allowing 4.7 yards per carry. However, they’ve been run on the fewest of any team in the NFL. Even if as a whole the Eagles have allowed teams to rush effectively, Cox is stout in this area of his game as well.
Cox is able to fend off the right guard’s block without losing his positioning. He maintains half-man relationship to create leverage, seal off his gap and then shed his block to give chase. This makes him a dangerous threat to the Saints potential offensive output. While it’s unlikely any one player can stop the offense with how it’s playing this season, he might be able to slow or stop some of the drives.
On the other side of the ball, Golden Tate has a reputation for standing out when he plays the Saints. In four games since 2014, he has amassed 440 yards, five touchdowns and caught for over 80% of his targets. Like Cox, Tate is a versatile weapon. He can be used either in the slot or outside and has constantly proven to be a thorn in New Orleans’ side. When looking at his box score from his first game with the Eagles, I didn’t see anything particularly impressive. He was targeted just four times with two receptions and 19 yards receiving. The question remains how quickly can he catch on with his new team?
Here we can see how dangerous Tate can be from the slot with his athletic ability, route running and ability to make defenders miss. When aligning from the slot, Tate could be used in the mesh concepts that have been an issue when Dennis Allen’s defense plays man coverage. While P.J. Williams has seen his play improve in previous weeks, guarding Tate from the slot could prove troublesome.
Arguably the biggest problem Tate presents is that he could be a reliable weapon for Carson Wentz, who is already having a very efficient season. With tight end Zach Ertz as his greatest weapon, Wentz is throwing for a 71% completion rate and a very low interception mark at 1.1%. Even though injuries have hindered the success of his receiving unit, Wentz is still productive, and adding Tate has the potential to bring the Eagles back to being a Top 10 offense, as they were in 2017.
The final play is from a couple of years ago, but showcases how Tate can line up on the outside and have success in a one-on-one matchup. These are the types of plays that Eli Apple was brought in to defend against, and he will likely have the opportunity. When the Saints play a single high safety, look for the Eagles to try to attack the seams with Ertz and Tate.
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Heading into this Sunday’s contest the Saints are undisputed favorites, but that does not mean a win will come easy, or at all. To win, it will be up to not the Saints stars like Cameron Jordan, Marshon Lattimore or Terron Armstead, but it will be a test of the depth that the Saints strove hard to ensure leading into this season. So far they have stepped up when called to the task.
(Top photo of Fletcher Cox: Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
